Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

It is clear that the Government is strongly committed to renewable energy and underpins the commitment with significant financial support. The multi-annual financial package announced in the 2006 budget provides for up to €65 million over the next five years for renewable energy schemes. These include renewable heat, electricity and transport initiatives, and cover the gamut of renewable energy sources, including biofuels, biomass and combined heat and power.

Under this initiative, and in partnership with my Department, Sustainable Energy Ireland launched the greener homes scheme in March of this year. This scheme provides for up to €27 million in grant aid for domestic renewable heat technologies. I am sure Deputies will be pleased to know that this scheme is already meeting with considerable success. More than 1,150 applications were made in the first four weeks of the scheme and the figure is now well above that. A package worth €205 million has been set aside to provide for a ramped up excise relief programme for biofuels.

I share the sentiments expressed by Deputies that nuclear energy is not an option for this country. It has been the policy of successive Governments to oppose the use of nuclear energy. It remains the policy of the Government, as was recently reiterated by the Taoiseach. Furthermore, given that section 18 of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 specifically precludes the use of nuclear fission for the generation of electricity in this country, only the Oireachtas has the power to change this situation.

A great deal of discussion has taken place about nuclear energy. Those who are most vociferous in opposition to it generally speak in terms of the possible environmental impact of nuclear energy if something goes wrong. That is a factor and the major issue in everybody's mind in opposing nuclear energy. This emerges from the well-known accidents which took place, such as the Windscale fire, the Three Mile Island accident in the US in 1979 and the accident at Chernobyl in 1986. Those accidents, particularly at Chernobyl, which was horrific, ruled out any expansion of nuclear energy for a long time. The fear of nuclear energy is still strong with many people.

There are other reasons for nuclear energy not being an option in Ireland. Nuclear energy is poor in economic terms compared with fossil fuel options such as natural gas. This has become clear as understanding increases of the costs involved in the long-term storage of nuclear waste products and the cost of decommissioning nuclear power stations. The costs of the fuel are very low, amounting typically to only 2% of the overall cost of generation. However, there are capital costs in maintaining power stations. I mentioned to Deputy Broughan earlier that in 1978, some £350 million would——

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